Chapter Four

We’re still going strong. We’ve now been meeting at Wild Oak for some weeks and we’re loving the idea of working independently, together.

We’ve had a few more newcomers over the recent weeks and we expect more first timers tomorrow. We have now added to our number a building designer, a horticulturalist and garden designer, an art-printed-on-glass entrepreneur, a data analyst and the ‘Chief Nerd’ from a payments company. We’re definitely loving the fact that our local area is chock full of so many diverse interests and independent people, that are interested in working side by side!

Last week, we were getting excited for a ‘town hall meeting’ hosted by our local MP, James Merlino, on the future of the old Olinda Golf Course site. We’d prepared a proposal of sorts – an alternative to a potential commercial interest getting their hands on the site before we’d had a chance to cowork in the old cafe – and boy did we put some effort into it!

Turns out that we needn’t have worried, and the commercial process that was previously underway with Parks VIC has been withdrawn and is no longer going to be completed. Well that’s great, but what is going to happen with the site?
If you believe everyone who spoke on the night and suggested their ideas, it will be everything and a bit more! From just leaving it as-is and walking the dog, to a basketball stadium, a football club, a cemetery, walking and riding trails, growers spaces, cafe, restaurant and hopefully a coworking space to boot.

We’re now just one of the other suggestions that have been made and we’re a part of the process. Fingers crossed this won’t take too long for Parks and Mr Merlino’s office to work through. In the meantime, we’ll be searching for our first semi-permanent space to cowork semi-permanently from 🙂

Wild Oak again tomorrow from 11am, we look forward to greeting our new friends and finding out about their interests and businesses!